1. Technical Field
The present disclosure generally relates to the testing of electronic circuits and in particular to testing an electronic circuit test system that is used to test printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs).
2. Description of the Related Art
As the value and use of information continue to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system (IHS) generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes, thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
IHSes typically contain one or more printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs), which are manufactured and tested prior to installation into the HIS. During manufacturing of the PCBAs, electronic circuit test systems are used for testing printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs) of various types. An electronic circuit test system is particularly suited to testing PCBAs (such as computer motherboards) with large quantities of devices under test (DUT). Examples of devices under test include resistors, capacitors, inductors, transistors, and integrated circuit devices. A typical electronic circuit test system includes a test fixture that is populated with a large number, or array, of test probes. An electrical signal can be selectively applied to each of the test probes by the electronic test system. The PCBA is typically moved into contact with the test probes via vacuum or mechanical test fixture actuation. Some test fixtures contain thousands of individual test probes in a large matrix. For example, a laptop motherboard typically requires approximately 1500 test probes and a server motherboard typically requires over 6000 test probes. In addition, several different types of test probes are typically used in a single test fixture depending upon the specific DUT to be tested.
The test probes are prone to damage and wear during use over a large number of test cycles, and the test probes require periodic maintenance. The replacement of worn test probes is a tedious manual procedure that must be performed by a human operator. Because there are thousands of test probes that may need to be removed and replaced, it is common for errors and mistakes to be made during such maintenance operations. The possible types of operator mistakes include installing a test probe in a location that does not require a test probe, omitting a test probe in a location that requires a test probe and installing the wrong type of test probe for a specific test fixture position. It is particularly difficult to determine if an incorrect type of test probe has been installed in a specific test fixture location or position. Incorrect test probes in the test fixture can cause false test results or cause damage to the PCBA.